Donald Ingerson Confessed to Sexual Assault, Is Quite Surprised to Be Arrested

Donald Ingerson should have done some homework before calling the law, huh?

St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch just got a freebie. Retired St. Louis County school teacher Donald Ingerson, 67, allegedly felt the need to clear his conscience, and called McCulloch's office to admit he sexually assaulted two female students during his career.

Sure, it sounds like the doings of a man attempting to right some wrongs. But according to McCulloch, the only reason Ingerson 'fessed up is because he believed the statute of limitations on these crimes had expired, and Ingerson could get all the conscience-salving benefits of a confession without having to face any punishment.

McCulloch believes the statute of limitations have not expired, and that Ingerson can indeed be brought to trial.

As a former teacher, you'd think Ingerson would have checked his work before turning it in, so to speak.

Ingerson allegedly committed the assaults in 1974 and 1995; the statute of limitations is 30 years. McCulloch's legal opinion is that the 30 years starts ticking from the time the victim becomes an adult, meaning he can prosecute both cases -- a prosecution that begins with an uncoerced confession seemingly already in hand.

But wait, there's more. Ingerson made his fateful phone call in June. In the intervening months, investigators tracked down the two victims, told them of the new developments and they both confirmed the assaults.

At that point the investigators contacted Ingerson at his home in Minnesota and asked him to drive down to St. Louis to discuss the assaults with them. When Ingerson arrived, he was arrested and charged with rape and statutory sodomy. He's being held in county jail on $300,000 cash-only bond.